Service Business Development
Strategies for Value Creation in Manufacturing Firms

A thorough overview of the strategies available for value creation through service business development.

Thomas Fischer (Author), Heiko Gebauer (Author), Elgar Fleisch (Author)

9781107652071, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 March 2014

320 pages, 61 b/w illus. 41 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.43 kg

'… an interesting reference … Students can find a complete overview of the topic that provide[s] them with a basic set of concepts, whilst managers can use it as a tool to compare their current situation against the proposed solutions … Worth[y] of notice are the several examples taken from real cases that add value to the chapters' content by describing best practices. In this way, readers less used to theoretical reasoning can better grasp the topic being investigated [with] immediate evidence of how concepts take shape in reality. The reading is also supported by a lot of tables summarising the provided guidelines explained in detail in the text … enjoyable …' Donatella Corti, Production Planning and Control

How can manufacturers of capital goods succeed in service business development? What are the potential network approaches for manufacturing companies planning on extending their service business? Over the last decade, the business environment of capital goods manufacturers has changed dramatically. Few capital goods manufacturers are able to outrun the competition with pure product-related technologies and innovation alone. For this reason they have added services to products as a way of responding to eroding margins and the loss of strategic differentiation through product innovation and technological superiority. Based on over twelve years of research, this book provides academics and business professionals with a thorough overview of the strategies available for value creation through service business development. It features case studies and covers a wide range of topics, including emerging issues such as service business in small and medium-sized companies, business innovation through services and the impact of rapidly growing Asian markets.

List of figures
List of tables
List of exhibits
List of abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Research activities
Publication acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. Basic concepts of service business development
3. Dynamic capabilities for service business development
4. A case study: using the exploitation approach to develop a service business
5. A case study: using the exploration approach to develop a service business
6. Developing service business via the exploitation approach
7. Configurations of service strategies and operational capabilities supporting the exploitation approach
8. Network perspective
9. International aspects of service business development
10. Service business development for small and medium suppliers
11. Service business development in small and medium OEMs
12. Summary
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Manufacturing industries [KND], Business strategy [KJC], Business & management [KJ]